From the Cubby...

NeilLNeilL Registered Users Posts: 4,201 Major grins
edited January 13, 2009 in People
First shots from my new "studio", a corner in a small room in my apartment in Saudi. I'll post a pic or two of it soon.

This was basically a test shoot, of new lighting, and gear I have not yet had much experience with.

This is Ashraf. This was his first experience of sitting, and my first as a "photographer", in the public arena outside my family, friends and travel. I paid him! :D:wink:rofl He was happy with these, and we'll do another session. Not much animation, I know, and I've explained how we were both a bit awed.

These are SOOC, RAW to jpeg.

My hat is on the sidewalk, please drop in your C&C. Thanks!



453805900_DnLu9-XL.jpg



453805937_HCYFF-XL.jpg




Canon 40D, 135mm F2L

Neil
"Snow. Ice. Slow!" "Half-winter. Half-moon. Half-asleep!"

http://www.behance.net/brosepix

Comments

  • NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited January 12, 2009
    NeilL wrote:
    First shots from my new "studio", a corner in a small room in my apartment in Saudi. I'll post a pic or two of it soon.

    This was basically a test shoot, of new lighting, and gear I have not yet had much experience with.

    This is Ashraf. This was his first experience of sitting, and my first as a "photographer", in the public arena outside my family, friends and travel. I paid him! :Dmwink.gifrofl He was happy with these, and we'll do another session. Not much animation, I know, and I've explained how we were both a bit awed.

    These are SOOC, RAW to jpeg.

    My hat is on the sidewalk, please drop in your C&C. Thanks!

    Canon 40D, 135mm F2L

    Neil

    Hey Neil, congrats on the studio and lighting steup, no matter how small it is! :-)

    Judging by the catchlights, you had both a fill and a key up front. I also suspect a 3d light or a nice reflector to the camera left.
    Given you're final results were headshots, I think it wasn't the best usage of the light power. On a such a small area as a human face you really don't get a big difference between one front light and two, especially if they are close to each other. As I mentioned several times, from my POV the best light setup for two lights for (up to 1/2 upper body) portrait is diagonal, when one light is used as a key and another as a rim/hair (or a background, however silly it may sound)

    And stop paying dudes, dude! That's bad business! If you feel obligated to pay, find yourself a nice pretty chick and pay her instead:-) mwink.gif
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
  • NeilLNeilL Registered Users Posts: 4,201 Major grins
    edited January 12, 2009
    Nikolai wrote:
    Hey Neil, congrats on the studio and lighting steup, no matter how small it is! :-)

    Judging by the catchlights, you had both a fill and a key up front. I also suspect a 3d light or a nice reflector to the camera left.
    Given you're final results were headshots, I think it wasn't the best usage of the light power. On a such a small area as a human face you really don't get a big difference between one front light and two, especially if they are close to each other. As I mentioned several times, from my POV the best light setup for two lights for (up to 1/2 upper body) portrait is diagonal, when one light is used as a key and another as a rim/hair (or a background, however silly it may sound)

    And stop paying dudes, dude! That's bad business! If you feel obligated to pay, find yourself a nice pretty chick and pay her instead:-) mwink.gif


    Great comments, Nik, much appreciate them clap.gif

    Give me a while to digest them, I'll have to polish up on lighting terms. mwink.gif

    Just a question, or two, what lens do you usually use, and what ISO? Sorry if I'm asking you to repeat info I should have searched.
    "Snow. Ice. Slow!" "Half-winter. Half-moon. Half-asleep!"

    http://www.behance.net/brosepix
  • QarikQarik Registered Users Posts: 4,959 Major grins
    edited January 12, 2009
    I like them. Nothign to fancy but they are pleasing to the eye.:ivar
    D700, D600
    14-24 24-70 70-200mm (vr2)
    85 and 50 1.4
    45 PC and sb910 x2
    http://www.danielkimphotography.com
  • NeilLNeilL Registered Users Posts: 4,201 Major grins
    edited January 12, 2009
    Qarik wrote:
    I like them. Nothign to fancy but they are pleasing to the eye.:ivar


    Thanks for your kind comment, Qarik!
    "Snow. Ice. Slow!" "Half-winter. Half-moon. Half-asleep!"

    http://www.behance.net/brosepix
  • NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited January 12, 2009
    NeilL wrote:
    Just a question, or two, what lens do you usually use, and what ISO? Sorry if I'm asking you to repeat info I should have searched.
    ISO
    usually the lowest one (which is 100 in my case)

    Lenses
    for portraits a longer focal length (50 and above) is recommended. However, the limited space can greatly affect that decision.
    Also sometimes you want to get wider just to reach certain artistic grotesque effect, as in here:
    332184554_irHEW-L.jpg

    Having said that, here's what I use on a regular basis:
    EF-S 17-55/2.8 IS USM
    EF 1002.8 Macro
    EF 70-200/2.8L IS USM

    Aperture
    Since all these lenses are f/2.8, they get pretty good at f/4.0, which I also find benefitial DOF-wise (again, this issue is highly space/light specific). Occasionally I get into f/5.6, but that's vast minority.

    Shutter Speed
    My PW-controlled lights sync fairly well at 1/250s with my Canon 50D/40D (the same was with 30D and 20D before). I can also "milk" it upto 1/320s by loosing about 1/6th..1/5th of the frame, or even upto 1/400s by loosing 1/4th..1/3d of the frame, but I seldom had the need to do that...

    HTH
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
  • dogwooddogwood Registered Users Posts: 2,572 Major grins
    edited January 12, 2009
    NeilL wrote:
    I paid him! :Dmwink.gifrofl He was happy with these, and we'll do another session.

    Well I sure hope he was happy-- getting paid plus getting photos?

    I know you're starting out and trying to learn but hopefully your goal is for YOU to get paid for your work! Check around-- there are plenty of people who will "model" for you simply as trade for photos. Yes, even when you're starting out. Most models have to start out somewhere too. Try friends and family. It will also help you start out on the right foot and realize that your photography is valuable even if it doesn't seem that way right now.

    P.S. Nik pretty much covered everything else!
    Portland, Oregon Photographer Pete Springer
    website blog instagram facebook g+

  • jeffreaux2jeffreaux2 Registered Users Posts: 4,762 Major grins
    edited January 12, 2009
    Nothing much to add to what Nik had to say. Overall....nice shots!

    To add further input on lens choice....

    On a 1.6x crop sensor.....such as the 40D....you want to avoid focal lengths wider than 30mm for sure.....unless you are specifically wanting the distortion that will be evident. A good safe bet.....especially for headshots in tight quarters would be a 50mm lens.
    Thanks,
    Jeff
    -Need help with Dgrin?; Wedding Photography Resources
    -My Website - Blog - Tips for Senior Portraiture
  • SwartzySwartzy Registered Users Posts: 3,293 Major grins
    edited January 12, 2009
    I'm not certain of the color here Neil unless his hair is reddish?

    Composition wise, you could bring his eyes up into the upper 2/3rds of the frame resulting in less head room and more focus on the face and upper chest.
    Swartzy:
    NAPP Member | Canon Shooter
    Weddings/Portraits and anything else that catches my eye.
    www.daveswartz.com
    Model Mayhem site http://www.modelmayhem.com/686552
  • NeilLNeilL Registered Users Posts: 4,201 Major grins
    edited January 13, 2009
    Nikolai wrote:
    HTH

    Yes, it certainly does. It's totally fascinating! thumb.gif

    I shot these at 1/250, f3.2, and ISO 400. I had a 300W softbox static light about a meter away slightly behind and above his right. Also on the right and level with him but about 2m away a 150W video light. At 11 o'clock in front of him on his left and about a meter away and at less than half output another 300W softbox static. 580EX II on camera was set to one step above lowest and bounced off ceiling above him. I struggled to get ideal exposure OOC. I was happy with the shadows on the face.

    WOW I don't recall you posting this feathers pic with the others way back. It's spectacular bowdown.gif. I love the mix of studio environment and drapes, and the l o n g legs iloveyou.gif

    EDIT: power of static softbox lights is 300W
    "Snow. Ice. Slow!" "Half-winter. Half-moon. Half-asleep!"

    http://www.behance.net/brosepix
  • NeilLNeilL Registered Users Posts: 4,201 Major grins
    edited January 13, 2009
    dogwood wrote:
    Well I sure hope he was happy-- getting paid plus getting photos?

    I know you're starting out and trying to learn but hopefully your goal is for YOU to get paid for your work! Check around-- there are plenty of people who will "model" for you simply as trade for photos. Yes, even when you're starting out. Most models have to start out somewhere too. Try friends and family. It will also help you start out on the right foot and realize that your photography is valuable even if it doesn't seem that way right now.

    P.S. Nik pretty much covered everything else!

    Right! But I didn't feel I was losing in any way. It was pretty much a win-win situation. I really am way inexperienced, and for my sitters it's at worst excruciatingly tedious, and at best mildly amusing, in a sadistic way! :Dmwink.gifrofl

    The good photos I get will go into advertising.

    Great to read your comments dogwood! thumb.gif
    "Snow. Ice. Slow!" "Half-winter. Half-moon. Half-asleep!"

    http://www.behance.net/brosepix
  • NeilLNeilL Registered Users Posts: 4,201 Major grins
    edited January 13, 2009
    jeffreaux2 wrote:
    Nothing much to add to what Nik had to say. Overall....nice shots!

    To add further input on lens choice....

    On a 1.6x crop sensor.....such as the 40D....you want to avoid focal lengths wider than 30mm for sure.....unless you are specifically wanting the distortion that will be evident. A good safe bet.....especially for headshots in tight quarters would be a 50mm lens.

    Many thanks, Jeff! I am paying close attention! thumb.gif
    "Snow. Ice. Slow!" "Half-winter. Half-moon. Half-asleep!"

    http://www.behance.net/brosepix
  • NeilLNeilL Registered Users Posts: 4,201 Major grins
    edited January 13, 2009
    Swartzy wrote:
    I'm not certain of the color here Neil unless his hair is reddish?

    Composition wise, you could bring his eyes up into the upper 2/3rds of the frame resulting in less head room and more focus on the face and upper chest.

    Thanks for commenting, Swartzy!

    Yes, he had copper-bronze wings and highlights in his hair. However, justThorne wrote me that he thought there was a magenta cast. He's right, so I'll look into the color thing in development.

    You are very right about the framing. Don't know why I left so much headspace headscratch.gif A little crop'll do it, at least help.:D
    "Snow. Ice. Slow!" "Half-winter. Half-moon. Half-asleep!"

    http://www.behance.net/brosepix
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